990 PARKS 



about the services. When a parent is moved to say, "My children attended 

 such and such a playground and it has been a real education for them"; 

 or when one young person says to another, "I had a glorious time at such 

 and such a bathing center"; or "I spent two weeks at the municipal camp. 

 It is a wonderful place"; or one citizen remarks, "The flower show of the 

 park department was an inspiration"; or "The municipal golf course is in 

 fine condition and the management excellent" -the department is not 

 only securing the most worthwhile publicity but it is at the same time 

 receiving the highest praise that can be bestowed upon its efforts. 



j. Education in the Use of Parks. 



Most forms of publicity directed at the education of the people in the 

 use of park and recreation facilities, to the end that the plants and struc- 

 tural features will not be injured beyond what is to be reasonably expected 

 from usage, are in reality a constructive form of police organization and 

 management and might well be included in the Chapter on "Park Policing." 

 Such publicity, however, is so intimately connected with those forms designed 

 to encourage the use of recreation areas that they belong better in this 

 chapter. The objectives of the two classes of publicity are in some respects 

 diametrically opposed, the former being intended to acquaint the people 

 with what they have and encourage them to make use of their properties, 

 while the latter is intended to teach them restraint in this use. 



(a) Signs. The simplest form of publicity teaching restraint is by 

 signs a type of publicity which was banned about fifteen or twenty years 

 ago largely because it was conducted in purely commandatory and prohibi- 

 tory terms and because it stood for an actual prohibition of the use of park 

 areas by the people. In this day of positive encouragement of people to 

 use all the different types of park and recreation areas, a judicious use of 

 attractive signs, more from the viewpoint of instruction rather than that 

 of prohibition, may very well be practiced, although such signs are a very 

 difficult problem if they are at all conspicuous, and they must necessarily 

 be thoroughly conspicuous if they are to be seen. Such signs may use only 

 the single word "Please" attractively painted on a small board mounted 

 on a low stake in a lawn or flower bed or shrubbery. It is a hardened offender 

 indeed who can resist obedience to this implicitly courteous appeal. Or the 

 sign may carry a simple appeal such as: "Please do not pick the flowers; 

 others may like to see them, too." Or, "This park is for your use and enjoy- 

 ment. Help us to keep it attractive so that others may find happiness in 

 its use, too." It is good psychology to word all such signs in courteous 

 language, even though the mailed hand is behind them. 



Signs may consist of copies of rules and regulations adopted by the 



